Using social media can beat depression: expert

Shunning Facebook and Twitter can lead to depression and even psychopathic tendencies in young people, a researcher has claimed.

Dr Richard Bélanger, of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, quizzed 7,200 adolescents and found that male non-internet users were 30 per cent more likely to show signs of depression, while females were 46 per cent more likely.

He said that even online friends can provide 'positive feedback' to keep mental health problems at bay.

Police found that James Holmes, accused of shooting dead 12 people at a US premiere of the latest Batman film last month, did not have any profiles on popular social media websites.

But Dr Bélanger warned that excessive internet use, defined as more than two hours per day, was also linked to a rise in the risk of depression.